Brown Dorid (Acanthodoris brunnea)?

Fish & Invertebrate sightings and descriptions, hosted by resident NWDC ID expert Janna Nichols (nwscubamom).
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morayeel
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Brown Dorid (Acanthodoris brunnea)?

Post by morayeel »

Rhoda spotted this nudibranch at Three Tree Point yesterday. It was about 55' deep. It look like a barnacle eating nudibranch, but seems slightly different to me... Size was about 1". As you see in the picture, there was no barnacle around it either. Any ideas?
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Dusty2
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Re: Brown Dorid (Acanthodoris brunnea)?

Post by Dusty2 »

Very good ID pic. Definitely a barnacle eating nudibranch. The gill shape is the definitive ID factor
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morayeel
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Re: Brown Dorid (Acanthodoris brunnea)?

Post by morayeel »

I see. The Eastern Pacific Nudibranchs says "The branchial plume is quit characteristic, composed of 16-32 pinnate gill plumes and usually forms two semicircles united anteriorly to enclose several tubercles." This is what it means. I've never seen brown color variety like this. Thanks, Dusty2.
BTW here is the other one near by. I assume this is also barnacle eating nudi, but it seems it does not have gill plume. This has more common coloring, though.
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Dusty2
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Re: Brown Dorid (Acanthodoris brunnea)?

Post by Dusty2 »

Same critter, They can be anywhere from dark brown to pure white and anywhere in between. This one appears to have his gills retracted which they do if alarmed, Also you may notice they there is one bright white noddule just to the rear of where the gills would be. This too is an ID feature. There have been thousands of these guys at Hudson point in Port Townsend the last couple of years. I some cases covering entire boulders.
3808w.JPG
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